Ellen Page Talks Returning for X-MEN: DAYS OF FUTURE PAST, Working with 3D Cameras, and More

As you’re probably well aware if you follow director Bryan Singer on Twitter, production is currently underway on the highly ambitious sequel X-Men: Days of Future Past. While the film is very much a sequel to 2011’s X-Men: First Class, it also bridges the gap between the younger versions of the X-Men characters and their grown-up counterparts that were seen in the previous three X-Men films. The story of Days of Future Past involves time travel and alternate realities, and Singer has amassed an all-star ensemble of actors that includes a large amount of the original trilogy cast in addition to the First Class stars.

One of the returning characters in DOFP is Ellen Page’s mutant Kitty Pryde, who was last seen in X-Men: The Last Stand. Pryde plays a pretty substantial role in the comics storyline for DOFP, and so Pryde is expected to be a crucial character in Singer’s film. Steve recently spoke with Page in anticipation of the upcoming thriller The East, and the actress talked a bit about returning for Days of Future Past, Singer’s propensity for sharing character first-looks on Twitter, shooting in 3D, and more. Hit the jump to see what she had to say.

With Kitty Pryde being such an important character to the Days of Future Past storyline in the comics, Steve asked Page how long she’s known that she would be in the new film:

“I didn’t know for that long. I knew they were kind of doing it, but I didn’t expect it. I didn’t expect to play Kitty Pryde again, so when that came up and I met with Bryan, because I didn’t work with Bryan I worked with Brett Ratner, it was just awesome. I feel so grateful to be back… Really, truly, it’s not like something I’ve known for a year by any means. I really didn’t know that long before we went to shoot.”

Singer previously revealed that he’s shooting Days of Future Past in 3D and utilizing the simul-cam technology that James Cameron pioneered with Avatar, and Steve asked Page what the tech-heavy shooting experience has been like so far:

“It’s pretty wild. Just the cameras are massive, and it’s interesting to talk to Bryan, because him expressing—just as like a film nerd—the difference and the challenges of shooting 2D vs 3D, that’s just an interesting thing to know about. But also, just when you’re on the side watching the monitor, obviously they have 3D monitor screens for hair and makeup people and everyone watching, it just looks so incredible. It does. Obviously, combining the old cast and the new cast this movie is going to be epic in scope.”

Singer has been making excellent use of Twitter throughout pre-production and production, debuting images of the cast in their new costumes and teasing the return of old favorites. Page’s Kitty Pryde was teased in such a manner, and Steve asked Page a bit about Singer’s Twitter habit and whether he told her he’d be putting her image on the social media website:

“Yeah, he told me [he was going to be Tweeting the picture.] I think that’s a great way to give information to people. The whole format and everything is changing so drastically and so quickly. If you said like two years ago, ‘Netflix is going to make a show, they’re going to release it all at once, and people are going to go apeshit over it,’ like House of Cards, or ‘Netflix is going to do a whole new Arrested Development.’ You probably would have been like, ‘Really?’ You know? I mean, maybe that’s a bad analogy for this, but I think it’s great. I think it lets people kind of be involved, and the fans of X-Men are obviously so passionate, and into it, and excited. I just went on his Twitter the other day and saw this picture of Hugh [Jackman] and Nicholas Hoult walking down the hallway and I was like, ‘Cool.’ “

You can watch the exchange between Steve and Page below followed by a transcript of the conversation. Look for the full interview closer to The East’s release date.

Collider: I definitely want to touch on X-Men real quick, I know you can’t say anything about the story even though it’s based on a comic that everybody knows, moving past all that – you’re on set and immediately Bryan is tweeting a photo of you in costume, did he tell you this was coming?

ELLEN PAGE: Yeah, He told me. I think that’s a great way to give information to people. The whole format and everything is changing so drastically and so quickly. If you said like two years ago, “Netflix is going to make a show, they’re going to release it all at once, and people are going to go apeshit over it,” like House of Cards, or “Netflix is going to do a whole new Arrested Development.” You probably would have been like, “Really?” You know? I mean, maybe that’s a bad analogy for this, but I think it’s great. I think it lets people kind of be involved, and the fans of X-Men are obviously so passionate, and into it, and excited. I just went on his Twitter the other day and saw this picture of Hugh and Nicholas Hoult walking down the hallway and I was like, “Cool.”

Totally, people are very excited. Bryan is filming in 3D, using simul-cam, all that stuff. What’s it like for you? Because obviously, the first two X-Men were not 3D.

PAGE: Yeah, I’ve never done a 3D movie.

Exactly, so what’s it been like?

PAGE: It’s pretty wild. Just the cameras are massive, and it’s interesting to talk to Bryan, because him expressing, just as like a film nerd, the difference and the challenges of shooting 2D vs. 3D, that’s just an interesting thing to know about. But also, just when you’re on the side watching the monitor, obviously they have 3D monitor screens for hair and makeup people and everyone watching, it just looks so incredible. It does. Obviously, combining the old cast and the new cast this movie is going to be epic in scope.

When did you first hear that you were going to be asked to be in it? Was it something that you knew for a while?

PAGE: No, I didn’t know for that long. I knew they were kind of doing it, but I didn’t expect it. I didn’t expect to play Kitty Pryde again, so when that came up and I met with Bryan, because I didn’t work with Bryan I worked with Brett Ratner, it was just awesome. I feel so grateful to be back.

Because I got to tell you, it’s based on a comic that’s very popular.

PAGE: I know.

And she’s kind of a big part of the comic, just throwing that out there. When you heard the title, did anyone tell you,”You’re probably going to be asked to come back”?

PAGE: No, because I’m going to be perfectly honest I was never really into comic books as a kid. So when the first X-Men popped up it was awesome because that was the first time I read about Kitty Pryde and thought she was awesome and wanted to do it obviously. No, I really did not. Really,

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